The Dictators Who Want to Run the World, with Anne Applebaum, Part One

7 snips

Sep 3, 2024

Anne Applebaum, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author known for her insights on autocracy, dives into the sophisticated nature of 21st-century authoritarian regimes. She reveals how modern autocrats have formed global networks to undermine democracies, showcasing the transactional nature of their alliances. Applebaum discusses the historical context of gas diplomacy and how countries like Russia and Venezuela leverage energy politics to gain influence. Her conversation emphasizes the urgent need to understand and counteract this evolving threat to democracy.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Autocracy Inc.

Modern autocracies form transactional networks, not ideological alliances.
They aim to dismantle democracies, targeting those who advocate for rights and transparency.

INSIGHT

Modern Autocrats

Unlike past dictators, today's autocrats possess vast wealth, enabling global reach.
They exploit technology for surveillance, propaganda, and manipulating public discourse.

ANECDOTE

Venezuela: A Case Study

Venezuela's regime persists due to support from Russia, China, Cuba, and Iran.
These countries, despite ideological differences, collaborate on sanctions evasion and resource exploitation.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

This is the first instalment of a three-part episode. In the 20th century most autocrats were brutal dictators whose main goal was to control a domestic population. But in the 21st century autocracy has become much more sophisticated and ambitious in its scope. States like Russia have developed sophisticated cross-border networks of kleptocratic financial structures, innovative security services and professional propagandists. The members of these networks are connected not only within a given country, but among many countries. Propagandists from one country can promote and finance extremists and propaganda in another – pounding home the same messages about the weakness of democracy and the evil of the West. In September 2024 Anne Applebaum came to Intelligence Squared to provide a radical new framework for understanding autocracy in the 21st century. Applebaum argued that autocracies today are best viewed like an agglomeration of companies or what she calls Autocracy, Inc. Their relations are not based on values, but are rather transactional, which is why they operate so easily across ideological, geographical, and cultural lines. In truth, they are in full agreement about only one thing: The destruction of democratic challengers. Applebaum was in conversation with BBC broadcaster Jonny Dymond to discuss how to understand and thwart this new evolved form of autocracy.

This is the first instalment of a three-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to the full conversation immediately as an early access subscriber, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.

For £4.99 per month you'll also receive:

- Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts

- Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series

- 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events

- Our member-only newsletter The Monthly Read, sent straight to your inbox

...

Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99:

- Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts

- Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series

...

Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access.

...

Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more.

https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/

Let us know your thoughts! Take a moment to fill in our Intelligence Squared Audience Survey and be in with the chance of winning a £50 Amazon gift card.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices